Solve a live-action murder mystery on the streets of downtown Columbia

You can help solve a Columbia murder mystery, and win a prize in the process.

The live-action gaming company CluedUpp is hosting a “detective day” in the capital city, inviting people to find the clues in Columbia’s downtown and compete against other teams of sleuths to solve the pretend crime.

The mystery will be solved on Nov. 2, the same day that the UK-based company is hosting other “detective days” in other cities in the Southeast, including Augusta, Jacksonville and Orlando.

The game is based on the board game Clue, and uses location-based information on the player’s phone like Pokemon Go.

Explore where you live.

To play, your team of up to six detectives will need to log in to the company’s smartphone app to find the clues and locations. The game will start between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and detective teams must finish the hunt for the killer by 5 p.m. Dressing up is optional, but can win your team an extra prize.

The game’s murder is themed around the 1960s London gangsters the Kray twins, so keep that in mind while picking your costumes.

Prizes will be awarded to the fastest team to finish, best “fancy dress,” best team picture and name, best detective under 16 and best dog detective.

Ben Breiner, staff writer at The State Newspaper, takes us on a tour through Williams-Brice Stadium, The State House and other Gamecock spots with the new Pokemon Go game.

Bristow Marchant is currently split between covering Richland County and the 2020 presidential race. He has more than 10 years’ experience covering South Carolina. He won the S.C. Press Association’s 2015 award for Best Series on a toxic Chester County landfill fire, and was part of The State’s award-winning 2016 election coverage.